Babies Footprints in the Sand

I must have washed over 60 toes this past week, each one so tiny they were smaller than the nail on my pinky finger. They have no ideal, these precious little bundles of joy that they have participated in a hear melting surprise gift for grandma or that Mom and Dad are thrilled to preserve one of their favorite Outer Banks vacation memories; seeing their child’s first footprints in the sand.

The footprints in the sand plate was inspired by my daughter Samantha when she was about 14 months old and just starting to walk on her own. After spending a nice hour “strolling” on the beach one morning, I was in love with seeing the impression of her little toes in the sand and then so dissapionted to watch them being washed away all too quickly with the next rolling wave. When I arrived at Studio 12 later that day and saw the blank wavy plates stacked on the shelf, I realized that I didn’t have to lament the loss of those first beach baby prints but could capture them forever. And that was when the first “infamous” foot prints in the sand plate was born.

While the art work looks complex and not for the beginning painter, it is actually quite simple and I love taking customers through the steps to show them how they and even toddler age children can paint the plate together. Painting pottery can become another vacation experience that all of the family will treasure. After the pottery is painted it gets glazed and then fired in a kiln, making the the plates dinner ware safe and long lasting, long enough to become a family heirloom.

I will never tire of washing so many little toes. Knowing that another precious moment in time has been captured for Mom and Dad is priceless.

About Carolyn Schena

Studio 12 is a working studio and gallery owned and operated by husband and wife artists Gary and Carolyn Schena. The Schenas' art work includes pottery, glass fusion and mixed media. Located in Avon, North Carolina on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, studio 12 welcomes all ages to paint pottery, make mosaics or try glass fusion. The Studio 12 gallery is filled with hand Crafted American art with a focus on North Carolina Artists.